Wolf Blitzer: “Billion potential barrels of oil” under BP well; “Could really explode” expert says

Florida Oil Spill AW ^ | June 17, 2010 | jackie

[jackietree]

CNN’s first mention of concerns about the structural integrity of BP’s blown-out well occurred on the June 16 edition of the Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, during an interview with a member of the government’s Flow Rate Technical Group, Professor Steven Wereley.

Blitzer described a conversation he had with an expert who said, “They’re still really concerned about the structural base of this whole operation.” “This thing could really explode,” added Blitzer, “And they’re sitting, what, on — on a billion potential barrels of oil.”

Wereley responded, “I’ve heard concerns about the structural integrity of the well.” More precisely, the structural concerns were if “the casing of the well is — is faulty at some point.”

SNIP

[jackietree]

The one billion barrels in estimated reserves mentioned by Blitzer is similar to the number stated by Bush Energy Adviser Matthew Simmons during a June 15 interview with Bloomberg TV.

Simmons concluded BP’s ruptured well could flow for 25 to 30 years at a rate of 120,000 barrels a day.

120,000 barrels/day * 365 days/year * 25 years = 1.095 billion barrels.

[ballplayer]

This is Bull,we all know that Oil wells are all tapped out,no more oil to be gotten,Windmills are the Future

[raybbr]

Shouldn’t they be racing there with every available rig to start new holes?

[muir_redwoods]

Wow, it’s just too damned bad we don’t have an oilman in the Whitehouse.

[luvbach1]

I thought we were running out of oil but it seems this well is chock full of crude: “BP’s ruptured well could flow for 25 to 30 years at a rate of 120,000 barrels a day.” Probably many like it. We need oil. 0bummer’s vague proposal for replacing fossil fuels (with what?)is just another scheme that will waste billions we don’t have. Nuclear energy is the answer for many energy needs but the Demonrats, beholden to enviuronmental extremists, won’t touch it.

[moovova]

A billion barrels?

Oil for everyone, forever!

Thank God, we’re saved!

(I’m gonna buy that Hemi I’ve always wanted...)

[AlexW]

I think it was on Kook to Kook AM that they had some “expert”
suggesting many nightmare scenarios, including a HUGE gas bubble under the sea bed, as well as numerous fissures that
might open up, due to the relief well drilling, unleashing billions of barrels of oil that could flow for MANY years.

To say that this situation is under control may be quite premature.

[TSgt]

99 cent gasoline again!

[Diogenesis]

[ETL]

Seems to me it might be a good idea to have in the future a submersible like “ALVIN” or a robotic sub specially fitted for such situations standing by. This way they can have better control over the repair attempts.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Another danger?

Is there "a gas bubble 15-20 miles across 10+ feet high near BP's oil well head?"

If so can it rise to the surface? Would that destroy buoyancy for 15-20 miles around?

[Dem Guard]

I wonder if they aren't looking at this leak as being more complicated than it really is. Why the heck don't they just put a metal cone cover over this well head and just weigh it down (bury it) with large bags of crushed rock (cement) until it no longer leaks. If they end up building a little mountain over the thing so what?

[farlander]

It would stop gushing LOOONG before that. As soon as the pressure in the oil reservoir went below the pressure of the ocean above it would stop shooting oil out. Generally what we have here is the ‘primary extraction’ - ie, drill a hole and it flows by itself. The primary extraction is good for only 25-30% of the total reserves, in normal circumstances. Probably less here as I would assume it would have to overcome the water pressure above. Not to be minimizing the disaster, just trying to keep sensationalism in check.

[Starstruck]

That would supply the U.S. all their oil needs for two months.

[Wonder Warthog]

Wereley is as big a fraud as Simmons. The guy is a mechanical engineering professor with NO background of any sort in any aspect of petroleum engineering. His research is in MICROFLUIDICS, fer gawd’s sake. Which is about as far removed from the situation “downhole” as exists in science and still involves flowing liquids.

[central_va]

Windmills are the Future

I think we should develop energy based on oil soaked wildlife. A lot of BTU's in a pelican coverd in oil. /sarc

[EVO X]

Why the heck don't they just put a metal cone cover over this well head and just weigh it down (bury it) with large bags of crushed rock (cement) until it no longer leaks.

According to various reports, the well casing is suspected of being damaged beneath the seabed. That is why top kill didn't work.

[Wonder Warthog]

Here’s his total life work experience:

https://engineering.purdue.edu/~wereley/cv.html

Anybody see anything there about ANY real-world engineering experience?? The man has spent his entire career in academics totally unrelated to the situation at hand, and yet the news media is constantly consulting him as an expert.

[Dem Guard]

I understand, but there is no shortage of rock to bury this
thing if they had to bury several acres under 20-100 ft of rock.

[PA-RIVER]

Remember, in his speech he said we are only 2% of the worlds population yet we use 20% of the worlds oil.

This, after he flies all over the world to have his ass kissed and tell Islamic dictators that America sucks.